Just like we all always say .... it wasn't me.

Last year I attempted the Kettle 100 and wrote about being OK with not having completed it - and not being a 100 mile runner.  Then as all two of my readers know, I changed my mind (3 days later).  And I believe, recently, I wrote about needing to run one more 100.

So.  Off I went on Saturday.  Goal, 12 minute miles.  12 x 100 = 1200 minutes = 20 hours + some fudge factor, I'm done about 2:30.  Have a beer and I'm in bed before light and all is well.  I got tired at mile 28 though.  It wasn't hot, except it kind of was.  I was just pouring sweat.  At Wilton road, I came up on a man deep into the Body Glide ritual.  Not something a man wants to see another man doing.  Parker apologized.  We ran together for a while discussing the heat, humidity and chafing.   At this point, I had my Hawaiian shirt on since this spring has been so cold and awful, I would have been sunburned had I not put something on at Scuppernong.  I do look good though.

2 of the 6 women that got me through.

At Emma Carlin (mile 47 ?), I was still on "schedule"  Kathy told me I was 6 minutes ahead.  I said - just wait .... by Bluff I had lost 25 minutes and Kathy was texting my pacers that there was some worry (she said she saw it in my face).  They were COMING ANYWAY.

Women and Girls just know how to take care of you

As I hit Tamarac (mile 57 ish) I still didn't know.  By mile 60, I was contemplating flipping a coin.  Then I saw Joel coming back out.  Darn it !!  At the 100K point - as the picture above shows 1) I was very tired and by now, cold (but at the same time hot) and 2) very comfortable thanks to Hannah's pillow and EmmaGrace's blanket.  I explained that I was not likely to finish until 8:00 AM Sunday morning.  My sister Suzannah, who has three children (one of whom is 6 months old) said not to worry, she was happy to walk with me the first 14 miles and then my nieces Rachel and Emily were going to go the last 24 miles with me and that they are COLLEGE students and college students like to stay up all night.  Kathy very convincingly said that staying up and crewing for me until 8:00 was perfectly fine with her as well.  So convincingly, I believed her.

So:  Kathy is ok.  Hannah and EmmaGrace are OK, Suzannah is OK, Emily and Rachael are COMING ANYWAY and my friends Kevin and Ladonna know that I need to finish (Kevin is old like me and understands the need to "do one more 100.")

I got up.  Got some warm clothing on and away Suzannah and I went .... slowly.  very slowly.  That's it really.  Getting out of Nordic is all I really needed to do.  As the title says.  It wasn't me.

I got to run with my Sister again.  I got to remember the time 6 years ago now that she ran me in on my first 100 mile run.  Once again, the night was beautiful.  we ran the same section (on the way out this time).  We heard the bullfrogs.  we felt the stillness and the awe.  And as we approached Hwy 12, a pack of coyotes was yelping and howling on the oak ridge across the lake (I explained that we would soon be running over there).  Another magic memory that will stay with us both to the end.

At Hwy 12, Rachel and Emilie were waiting.  Emily was going to take the next section except Rachel was going to go too.  After some confusion over head lamps (I was not helpful - I apologize) and some insisting that they take at least a little water, off we went.  They were perfect pacers.  falling into my sporadic rhythm.  Run when you can, walk when you have to.  They talked, but not too much (like one particular pacer we were stuck near for a while (she would have driven me batty - but hopefully was just what her particular runner needed)). We ran down to Rice lake and back, seeing lots of people I knew, all saying hi Ron.  And everyone I didn't, all saying hi and good job.  Emily and Rachel saying they didn't deserve to be told good job, not realizing that without them, no good job would have been being done.  They were learning about the ultarunning "community."  While we are all obviously somewhat obsessive and many would call loaners - we are a very strong, supportive community of them.

Back at Hwy 12 Emily decided to run to Bluff as well.  A total of about 16 miles.  I'm not sure that she's ever run that far.  And after Bluff, it was just Rachel and I.  The girl that just can't say no (according to her dad and my sister) - never said no.  We walk ran it in.  Suzannah and I turned on our flashlights about four miles out from nordic, Rachel and I turned ours off with about 4 miles to go.

So, I completed my 4th and last 100 miler.  Definitely no where near as well as my first and third.  It's done though.  And, it's done because of the wonderful support I had from 6 beautiful women (ok two are still girls).  I can't thank them enough and I hope that my crazy adventure taught them just a little about tenacity (I've been called stubborn), but more, I hope they each remember this excellent adventure with as much love and awe as I will.

And I was thinking ..... I wonder what Leadville would be like?  I wonder if Rachel needs a pacer at Kettle?  That would be a good training run for me .....